1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a personal care garment for use by persons desiring personal privacy. In particular, this invention relates to a separable garment having panel(s) covering the private body areas of the wearer preserving the wearer""s dignity and modesty.
2. Description of Prior Art
As our population ages, the need for assisted living facilities and home health care grow. The baby boomers are becoming the xe2x80x9csandwich generationxe2x80x9d balancing their children""s needs, as well as their aging parents. Because of high costs, many families are caring for loved ones at home. Many become the primary caregiver with the more fortunate hiring help for the ADL""s (Activities of Daily Living). As ADL""s include personal care (bathing, clothing changes, and toilet duties), receiving assistance with ADL""s can be spelled out xe2x80x9cAnother Dignity Lostxe2x80x9d. For those too frail to stand in the shower or undress themselves, aides or family caregivers are called to assist, introducing an awkward and troubling problem with maintaining personal privacy for the one receiving help.
In the medical community it is common practice for a doctor or medical personal to supply a type of gown to protect a patient""s modesty while performing various medical procedures and examinations. Sadly, in the home or non-medical settings where simple personal care is needed, there has not been one garment available that protects the dignity of the person being helped with personal care. Although a number of medical garments are presently available, they are inappropriate or useless for protecting personal privacy in personal care. As a result, elderly and disabled men and women suffer shame and embarrassment as they endure being viewed naked by their aides or worse by their adult children. For family members, the confusion and humiliation can be magnified for both care-receiver and caregiver. Tragically, many frail and disabled loved ones refuse the personal care they so desperately need because the fear of dignity loss.
As tradition and mentality of the home health industry communicates a silent message of xe2x80x9cit""s always done this wayxe2x80x9d a sense of futility can result. Ultimately, the ones we desire to respect and honor the most are gradually stripped of their dignity without hope.
Thankfully this Personal Care Garment finally solves the embarrassing problem of exposure in the shower, during clothing changes, while on the commode, or when in the presence of another.
Prior to this Personal Care Garment, the only choice was to bear the shame of exposure, because no personal care garments were invented yet, and the poor design of other garments left no choice as they were made for quite a different purpose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,006, Wolfe discloses a lower torso only hospital garment for medical treatment purposes which is unsuitable for personal care in the shower as the whole body is normally exposed. If the care recipient happens to be a female, the breast area of the wearer would be exposed in this prior art.
Still another deficit to this hospital garment is it fails to offer the back opening needed for personal care in a shower chair. Likewise, the design made for tube or wire entry in medical procedures is inappropriate and awkward for personal care during toilet duties.
Another example of prior art that is ill suited for personal care is U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,083, Belcher, which is designed for medical procedures. The upper torso bib disclosed would render the female wearer exposed during personal care when the bra is removed, during bathing, and when dressing into dry clothes. The wearer also would view themselves exposed as the flap falls down and hangs from the waist during bathing. Not only is this prior art garment useless for the female, it is not usable for a male during personal care either. A man for instance, could not bathe or clean his back without the entire gown falling down to expose his private body areas, or when lifting the gown up likewise exposing himself. Dressing, bathing, or using a commode has unique needs for both care recipient and in some cases a caregiver which hospital type gowns fail to fulfill.
Other hospital garments have the same problem in their one-piece gown structure, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,414, Smith and U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,863, Van Scoy-Mosher, designed for medical settings. This poor design causes exposure of the lower torso when personal care is given to the upper torso. Also, the gown sleeves or arm openings prevent removal or replacing of the bras, causing embarrassing exposure.
Teens and children too, care about privacy during personal care. Because a personal care garment was not invented yet, many students dropped out of team sports because of the embarrassment of shared showers. Many preteens likewise gave up summer camps because of the dread of being exposed to others during shower time.
None of these patents teach or render obvious singly or when considered in combination, applicant""s invention.
This present invention is directed to a separable personal care garment that preserves the wearer""s sense of modesty. A personal care garment has multiple uses. In a particularly preferred use, the Personal Care Garment allows access for personal intimate hygiene, while maintaining a sense of dignity for the wearer.
In particular, the personal care garment is directed to a garment designed specifically to protect dignity and personal privacy of a person comprising:
a) A panel or panels that wrap and attach around the lower torso of the wearer modestly covering the buttocks, pelvic and upper thigh area.
b) a detachable bib that covers the breasts of a female wearer.
c) a means of attaching the bib to the lower torso garment or removing the bib, allowing coverage adapted to the wearer.
It is the principle object of this invention to remedy the humiliating problem as related in the above Backgroundxe2x80x94Description of Prior Art.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a means of protecting dignity and personal privacy for a person during personal care.
Another object is to provide a family friendly barrier to the intimate boundaries between parents and their adult children, protecting the integrity of the relationship during personal care.
A further object is to provide personal privacy for anyone where others traditionally would be present. Public showers, locker rooms and open changing areas would no longer be embarrassing with the benefit of this invention.
Another object is to provide therapists and their clients a comfortable garment during personal care training and rehabilitation without distraction or humiliation, which would diminish the effectiveness of the consultation. The Personal Care Garment will allow for a respectful atmosphere between the therapist and the client encouraging progress and participation.
Another object is to provide a means for dignified clothing changes of the wearer. Undergarments can be removed in preparation for bathing while staying covered. A Personal Care Garment wet from the shower or bath can be covered with another dry Personal Care Garment allowing for a modest removal of the wet garment. Dressing into dry clothes can be achieved while covered under the Personal Care Garment.
A further object is to provide a garment that shields from view private body areas during toilet duties, reducing exposure and embarrassment when assistance is needed. The process of pulling undergarments down, sitting on the toilet, and pulling undergarments up can be done discreetly under the cover of the Personal Care Garment.
Another object of this invention is to provide a garment for the long-term care residents offering them protection of their rights to privacy and the consideration of their dignity by legal statutes.
Another object is to provide superior coverage for both males and females during exams or medical procedures.
Respect and honor for those who deserve it most can now be achieved. The use and availability of this practical and novel garment can eliminate the dread of losing dignity in care facilities.
It is therefore, the object of applicant""s present invention to provide a simple, easy to manufacture, attractive garment that allows access for personal care while the wearer remains covered, that protects dignity.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.